St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244

Bach Society Houston brings Bach's St. Matthew Passion to St. Thomas Episcopal Church on Saturday, March 6, 2027. It's a long haul of a performance—running from 2 PM to 5:15 PM—and the society is treating it as their magnum opus. The work is a massive one, and they're meeting it with two choirs and two orchestras on stage at once, so you'll hear the full weight of it rather than a scaled-down version.

If you're not familiar with the St. Matthew Passion, it's Bach's account of the final days of Jesus, told through a mix of narrative, chorales, and arias. The two choirs and two orchestras aren't just for volume; they're built into the structure of the piece, creating a dialogue that moves across the stage. It's a work that unfolds over a single afternoon, and the society is presenting it in its entirety.

The program note describes it as a piece that's been walked for 300 years by the devout and the doubtful alike, and that they emerge changed. It's that kind of music—the kind that asks for your full attention for a few hours and doesn't let up until the end.

Tickets are $35 to $50 for general admission and $10 for students. The performance runs from 2 PM to 5:15 PM at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Houston.